Discuss and analyse the dramatic impact if Act 1 scene 5 and Act 3 scene 1

Romeo and Juliet is a dramatic play written by William Shakespeare around the period of the Elizabethan times/ Renaissance period. The play is based on the anger and brawling between two families, the Capulets and the Montegues, this is due to events, which took place in the past between the elder generations of the family. The play deals with many important issues, which are to do with life such as love and hate, light and dark, devotion and betrayal, religion and blasphemy.

All these issues are juxtaposed together, the play can also be known as a play of opposites. The whole focus is on the two main characters Romeo and Juliet, the focusing on these characters means that the play is easier to understand by there being no twisting sub plots this way it makes the play move at a much faster pace.The plot of the story can be shortened down to this Romeo is at a party held by his enemies family, the Capulets, he is having a great time messing around when he spots Juliet. As soon as he and she make eye contact it seems to be love at first sight, it is very ironic how the to are brought together and then are distraught to find out that they are in love with one of the enemies family, “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt”- Romeo (pg- 45). Everyone are convinced that it is just teenage lust to begin with, but then they show how strong their love is by taking their lives.2) At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 5 it starts with the servants of the Capulets talking about the party that is being held.

The way in which they are talking suggests that the party is going to be a fast paced scene, ” Cheerly boys, be brisk a while, and longest liver take all,” this tells people that they will have to do so much at the party they will die of tiredness.During the party most of the essential characters to the play are all bought together in the same place at the same time without being in a verbal war or physical war. Due to this, it creates large amounts of tension because if any of the Montegues reveal them selves then you know that a war would break out. This is the moment the audience has been waiting for to kick start the more exiting parts of the play.3) There are many reasons why this scene is so dramatic the main reason that the start of the scene shows that there is almost infinite possibilities which could end up leading to death, hate and love between the main characters in this scene.

One of the most dramatic points of this scene is that the party is fancy dress, so some characters cannot be aware of other characters presence. All this builds to the audience’s expectations that this scene is going to be filled with heightened emotions and drama.The most dramatic point where this happens is when Tybalt spots Romeo at the same as Romeo spots Juliet, this is known as a double flashpoint. As soon as the double flashpoint occurs the atmosphere changes from a very public scene to a private scene, because Romeo follows after Juliet into more enclosed area and Romeo starts to sweet talk Juliet, whilst Tybalt talks to Capulet about killing or throwing Romeo out of the party, this just shows the two opposites intertwining with each other. Capulet’s words to Tybalt telling him to leave Romeo alone, “Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,” this allows the story run to its already foreseen ending.With the little time that Romeo and Juliet spend together it seems that they have changed in a drastic way, it seems that Romeo has become less self pitying and more grown up and Juliet seems to have grown up and become more forthcoming.

With this short time together, they know they were meant to be together and do not want to let each other go when Juliet’s parents start coming near them.4)5) The language used in this is very poetic at certain parts of the play especially when Romeo and Juliet are talking to each other it is fast paced. During part of there sentence they interrupt one another’s sentences, after being interrupted they restart off a new sentence which formed a rhyming couplet, ” Romeo- holy palmers too? Let lips do what hands would do.” Even in some points they end up having a rhyming couplet joined between them, “Romeo- to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss, Juliet- which mannerly devotion shows in this.”Romeo also uses quite a lot of religious metaphorical words when he is talking to Juliet,” this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,” which suggests that Romeo is worshipping the ground that she walks on as if he sees her as a goddess or a priceless object.

Just because the religious metaphors are seen as light and happy they can be the very opposite and be death and sadness which are more juxtaposed words. The way that Tybalt speaks about Romeo adds to the anticipations of the audience that something bad is going to happen, “Tybalt- but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall,” all of his language suggests that he will kill Romeo or die trying.6) Act 3 Scene 1 is one of the most important scenes in the play because it causes the most chaos out of all the scenes to start off the play prince said that if anyone caused anymore local disturbances they would be punished.Mercutio starts off by saying that the heat of the day causes people act crazier than they normally do and that gives us the impression that there will be a fight. Mercutio and Benvolio start off by verbally annoying each other and that makes the tensions rise, Mercutio says that Benvolio likes a good fight as much as the next person. Benvolio has been portrayed throughout the play, as a peacekeeper and Mercutio has said he is a violent character so it makes the audience think about what Benvolio might be capable of.

When the Capulets show up Benvolio says, “By my head, here comes the Capulets,” to give everyone a warning to flee from the area, but Mercutio says “By my heel, I care not,” which gives the audience the feeling a big fight is coming. Tybalt asks straight forwards for Romeo but he was not there so Mercutio takes it apon himself to try to wind up Tybalt, which adds even more tension to the scene. Benvolio showing he is a peace keep again tries to take the fight to a more remote location, but Mercutio would not move.As soon as Romeo enters into this scene Tybalt’s attention is taken of Mercutio and straight to him. You know from the earlier scene that one of Tybalt’s aims was to kill Romeo or die trying so the audience was going to die.

Mercutio not one to be swept aside starts off a fight with Tybalt and Romeo steps into stop it but gets in the way a gets Mercutio stabbed. Just before Mercutio dies he says, ” a curse on both your houses.” This also adds to the tension of the play because now we know that Romeo and Juliet will die after him saying this.Romeo blinded by his own rage chases after Tybalt on the mission to avenge Mercutio’s death; they fight it out to the death leaving Tybalt slain on the floor. Benvolio not wanting to see his cousin put to death so he says “Romeo, away, be gone.

” Prince comes in and sentences Romeo to banishment of Varona, as soon as the banishment has been put on Romeo we know that the love between Romeo and Juliet cannot be.8)The language that is used by the characters is not as poetic and turns into more straight forwards easier to understand. The language and emotions from act 1 scene 5 are turned into the opposite which makes it a more masculine scene.The language becomes darker, so it uses essential emotions like; death, hate and suggest even more towards the fate of the main characters. It also contains dark types of imagery such as; bloody and animal imagery.The curses and omens that are used are not intentionally meant to happen to the people but the irony is that we already the knowledge that Romeo and Juliet will die.